Snowballs (Wolfstar)
by Golden Seeker 91
Summary: A one shot story that takes place over the Christmas period in their Sixth year. If you have encountered my other Wolfstar series, this is between chapters 5 and 6. Hope you enjoy. Feel free to review if you wish.


Snowballs

It was winter, snow fell all around. Hogwarts looked like a giant gingerbread castle. Lanterns flickered in the window's painting silhouettes of the people in the castle. It wasn't busy. Most people had gone home for the Christmas holidays. He looked at the moon. It was the day after the full moon. He felt sore and aching, but he was happy there was still another month to go before he transformed again. Remus smiled as he climbed the steep steps that lead to the stone circle. It was beautiful…. Until a snowball came flying and hit his him the face. He cursed and spun in a circle trying to find out where it had come from snow melting into the collar of his cloak. He looked to his right and found foot-prints transformed into pawprints leading behind one of the huge stones. He grinned and crept around the circle scooping up a handful of snow and appearing behind a large black dog. He tiptoed closer feeling the show dripping through his fingers. He dropped the snow.

"Hey Padfoot." He said gently reaching with freezing hands to pet the dog on the snout.

The dog yelped and dropped to its belly putting its paws over its nose. Then it sneezed, sending up a plume of snow that settled in its shaggy black fur. The dog recovered itself fixing Remus with a highly-affronted look.

"Sorry, but come on! That was funny." He said grinning at the look on the dog's face. "Now were even."

The dog approached Remus and bumped its snout against his leg. Remus leant down and rubbed the dogs head before the dog shook itself. Spraying snow all over Remus. He yelped and cursed again covering his face with his arms.

"Okay, Sirius, Cut it out!"

The dog sat, its tongue lolling in a lopsided grin, looking very pleased with itself. It snorted at the highly-affronted look now on Remus' face. The next moment a young man stood where the dog had been wearing the same lopsided grin and proud expression.

"Watch your language Moony!" said Sirius, ducking as a snowball hurtled toward him.

He grinned at his friend, his hair dripping and falling into his eyes, wearing the same affronted expression the dog had been before.

Remus cursed at Sirius again and threw another snowball. It caught him in his stomach. He yelled in surprise and burst out laughing.

"Okay, Okay! Were even!" he yelled leaning back against the stone and laughing.

Remus grinned. No one could listen to Sirius' laugh and stay cross at him, even if his hair was dripping down his back, making him cold. Eventually Remus started to laugh too, leaning on his knees to keep him standing. They laughed until they were gasping, their faces sore and glowing from the cold, their stomachs aching and throats hurting from ingesting to much freezing air.

Remus tried to get up, but his knees buckled. Sirius caught him and helped him up.

"I'm fine." Remus assured his friend at his look of concern. "Just tired."

Sirius saw that he was shivering. He took off his cloak and wrapped it around Remus, then linked one arm around him.

"Let's get inside. Your freezing."

By the time that they got to the common room Remus was breathing heavily and burning up and Sirius was practically carrying him. Remus could feel his friend's breath tickling his neck and convinced himself he was shivering with cold. Sirius eased him gently onto the sofa in front of the fire and went to get a blanket. He helped Remus unbutton his cloak and put it on the floor next to the fire to dry off then put the blanket over his friend. Remus smiled gratefully at him, his eyes closing. He needed sleep, after last night. Sirius sat down next to him on the sofa listening to his friends gentle breathing and the soft crackling of the fire, he lost track of time, staring into the flames. Suddenly Remus jerked awake. Sirius jumped.

"Sirius! NO!"

Sirius grabbed his friends arm trying to calm him. This was not the first-time Remus had had a nightmare, usually he could calm him, but this time was different. Remus howled in pain and Sirius let go, his hand slick with red.

"Remus? Remus calm down, you're in the common room."

Remus leaped to his feet, tripping over as he struggled away from him.

"Remus! Whatever is wrong, it's okay. You were dreaming. Please, calm down, your scaring me."

Remus stared into the fire with eyes wide, fever bright. He saw Sirius standing a few feet away, his hands raised. Palm red with blood. His stomach twisted and his face went pale.

"I.. I hurt your hand?"

Sirius shook his head quickly.

"NO! Of course, you didn't! You are hurt. Look at your arm."

Remus looked down. On his forearm were three scratches, an injury from last night.

"I'll go and get a bandage." Sirius said softly disappearing to the dormitory's.

When he came back, Remus was sitting by the fire again. He looked ill, older than he was. Sirius sat next to him, pulling Remus' arm gently onto his lap so he could bandage it. He was as gentle as he could be, but at some points Remus flinched and gripped his knee breathing hard and blinking tears away from his eyes that Sirius pretended not to see.

When he had finished, he took his friends hand gently and eased it off his lap.

"Okay?"

Remus nodded, squeezing Sirius' hand gently to demonstrate.

They sat there for a while. Talking about whatever they could think of. Sirius knew it was the only way to keep Remus' nightmares at bay. Eventually they fell asleep, the fire glowing orange, casting flickering shadows across their faces.

Remus woke first. The sunrise turning the common room a deep orangey red. He looked down at his bandaged arm, flexing his fingers. Then he looked at his friend. He was shivering slightly. Remus realised he still had his blanket and got up, putting the blanket gently down on his friend and tiptoeing from the common room.

The snow was still glittering on the ground as he stepped outside and walked swiftly to the owlery. He scribbled down a note that said,

Round 2?

and sent an owl to the Gryffindor common room and then hid behind the large stone where he had found Sirius yesterday. Soon Remus heard feet jogging down the wooden bridge. He gathered a handful of snow and took aim. Sirius appeared grinning, a snowball in his hand, Remus let fly with his snowball. It caught Sirius on the arm causing him to drop his snowball.

"OI!" he yelled, laughing.

Remus laughed and Sirius ran toward the sound turning into a dog mid stride. He knocked Remus backward putting his paws on his chest, pinning him to the ground and licking him.

Remus yelled and wriggled away laughing, running behind another stone. Sirius came out from behind the other stone, grinning, a snowball in his hand. Remus threw another, it caught him in the ribs. Sirius turned sharply and slipped, his ankle twisting beneath him. He cursed and fell. Remus came running toward him. All traces of laughter gone.

"Are you okay!"

Sirius was still laughing.

"I'm fine, just twisted my ankle."

Remus wrapped one arm around his friend, helping him to his feet and walking with him back to the common room.

Much later that night, they were sitting by the fire again. Sirius with his ankle bandaged, Remus struggling to write homework with only one good hand. Sirius conjured a snowball and threw it gently at Remus.

Remus, beyond words, raised an eyebrow.

Sirius grinned.

"Now were even."

Remus grinned back, shoving him gently with his elbow.

"Just go to sleep."

Sirius yawned and nodded, resting his head against the arm of the sofa nudging Remus with his foot.

"Night Moony."

"Night Padfoot."

Remus laughed softly at that, soon Sirius joined in.

They laughed until they fell asleep, and none of them had nightmares. Not even as the fire cast flickering shadows across their faces.


End file.
